Government

Five COVID-19 Cases at State Mental Hospital for the Elderly; Admission to State Mental Hospitals Halted

Five patients at the state’s Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center have tested positive for COVID-19 since May 1. The positive cases came from two of four units in the hospital in Tuscaloosa. Interactions among the elderly patients, many of whom have dementia, in those units have been limited, Dr. Mark Woods, medical director for the Alabama Department of Mental Health, told Alabama Daily News on Wednesday. “You have to realize, social distancing in this population is very, very difficult,” Woods said. “You know, you don’t want to restrain or force this population that already has a major issue with confusion. Any restrictions are very difficult. Read more.

Census Response Map Shows Lags as Field Operations Restart

About 1.4 million Alabama households have turned in their 2020 census forms, a state self-response rate of 56.7% compared to a national rate of 58.6%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. State agencies are now putting extra effort in those parts of the state where responses are lagging. A swath of Black Belt and southern counties, and a few in north Alabama, are trailing in mail-in, internet and telephone replies, according to a map maintained by the Census Bureau. Early this week, Coosa County in central Alabama had the lowest return rate at 26.6%. The response rate data is based on 2018 and 2019 population estimates. Census kickoff efforts in March and April got off to a slow start because of the coronavirus. Read more and see interactive map.

Community Colleges Plan to Open Campuses in Fall; System Works to Improve Distance Learning

MONTGOMERY — Alabama Community College System leadership on Wednesday said campuses are planning to reopen in the fall, subject to guidance from Gov. Kay Ivey regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

Dogs Gone: Live Greyhound Racing Ends at Birmingham Race Course

The COVID-19 pandemic is known for being fatal mostly to those who were in poor health before they were infected. One of the latest victims of the virus would certainly fit that description, even though the victim is not a person, but a well-known institution. The Birmingham Race Course, which began in 1987 as a Thoroughbred racing facility and which added greyhound racing in 1992, has run its last live race. The announcement came on April 22 from Kip Keefer, the head of the Birmingham Racing Commission, after he found out from track owners. Read more.

Alabama Utility Commission to Consider Ban on Recording Meetings

Alabama’s Public Service Commission is considering new rules that restrict recording formal hearings. Critics say the “Media Coverage Plan” goes too far and limits transparency of the agency. Read more.

Two Classics? Birmingham Debates Whether to Bring Morehouse-Tuskegee Game to the City

The Birmingham City Council has delayed a proposal to bring a new football classic to Legion Field this October. Mayor Randall Woodfin’s proposal, which appeared before the council Tuesday, would make Legion Field the site of an annual football game between Morehouse and Tuskegee universities, two historically black colleges and universities. Read more.

Face Covering Law in Birmingham Extended Through Next Week; Curfew Lifted

Birmingham’s public safety curfew is no longer in effect, but the ordinance requiring masks or face coverings to be worn in public has been extended for another week. The Birmingham City Council made those changes in response to Gov. Kay Ivey’s amended “safer-at-home” order, which went into effect Monday. The new order significantly loosened restrictions on public gatherings and allowing non-essential businesses, such as bars, restaurants and salons, to reopen “subject to social-distancing and sanitation rules.” Read more.

Restaurants, Gyms and Salons Reopening Slowly Under New COVID-19 Emergency Order

Welcome Back! Restaurants, Salons, Gyms May Reopen Monday – With Conditions

Restaurant dining rooms, salons and barber shops, and athletic facilities join the list of businesses that may reopen today, and groups of more than 10 people are allowed to gather. But things are not going to look, or operate, they way they used to – at least not yet. The state’s amended Safer-at-Home order is in effect as of today and, while it allows more businesses to reopen, it requires people to maintain social distances of six feet or more between themselves and others. In Birmingham, the city’s ordinance requiring people to wear masks or other face coverings also is in force through Friday. Health and government officials issued cautions Sunday asking people to remain vigilant to avoid contracting the virus that has killed 393 and sickened 9,889 Alabamians to date. “When it comes to the reopening of Alabama, we must choose data over dates,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in an open letter to the city. “Here’s the reality: the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in our state. In fact, they increased by 20% in Alabama last week.” Read more.

Lawmakers Send Ivey $7.2B Education Budget, Plan to Return to Deal With Possible Veto

MONTGOMERY — In a rare Saturday meeting, Alabama lawmakers approved a $7.2 billion education budget, finishing the heavy lifting in a legislative session derailed by the coronavirus outbreak. They left the capital city but expect to be back in the State House for special sessions on multiple matters later this year. State House leaders also plan to call back lawmakers May 18 should they need to react to possible amendments by Gov. Kay Ivey or a veto of the state General Fund. Ivey and lawmakers have wrangled in recent weeks about who gets to allocate nearly $1.8 billion in coronavirus relief funding from the federal government. Ivey last week agreed to cede responsibility and told lawmakers she wanted details on how every penny would be spent before she'd call them back for a special session to allocate it. The Legislature approved a General Fund budget that gives $200 million of the funds to state agencies to spend immediately, something she told them not to do. Read more.

Sen. Doug Jones Takes Issue With Dropping Charges Against Flynn

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones took Attorney General William Barr to task Friday, saying Barr had tossed aside the rule of law in the Justice Department’s decision to drop a 3-year-old criminal case against former Trump Administration National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. ”As a former U.S. attorney, I have to say I was absolutely appalled,” Jones, D-Ala., said during a Friday video news conference. “The attorney general, I think, has basically thrown the rule of law out the window” and “given a green light for people to lie to the FBI.” Read more.